short and wide is all the rage in wave sailing right now. just had a session at my local launch that defies this trend in fashion.

5-35 mph. side off, large shore pounds and light to heavy winds inside and out. waves were 12 + foot at the peaks and long 8 foot shoulders. what did i choose to use? 111 W-Wave and 5.8 charge. what would i have chosen 10 years ago? original wave 105 and a 5.8 or 5.2 charge.

what did i like about the kit i chose? fast, turns, acceleration. what did i not like? slogging. what wasn't quite so bad about older, longer boards? slogging.

to say all wider boards are more stable and less comfortable when lit is not accurate. wider boards with short lengths become quite unstable, fore and aft, and are a bitch to slog once they are under 245. my X-Wave 111 is 235 long. i can feel the extra tipsiness, fore and aft quite readily on a blasty day like yesterday. it's 65 wide.

ideal length for typical florida wave sailing is, for me, 260 cm or more. i will always remember the compact move 115 as one of the best boards ever made by exocet. Cross IV 114 is very good right now, but i would like to see it at 260 or so.

Horses for courses...( The phrase stems from the fact that a racehorse performs best on a racecourse to which it is specifically suited.)

The stubbie generation of short wide concept I might say requires a different technique to a longer board, the mast track will be located in more forward location , true a generalization, but does apply often, just one variance.

Once I get used to looking at a board length ahead of the mast, or put another way NOT there to look at ! a 220cm long rx

I agree they are not stable for slogging, horses for courses.

Your weight would effect this all dramatically compared a 150 pounder._________________K4 fins
4Boards....May the fours be with you

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